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Hurricane Teddy (2014)
|type = Category 5 major hurricane (SSHS)|image location = Hurricane Rita (Gulf).jpg|image caption = Teddy just before peak intensity on October 31|formed = October 24, 2014|dissipated = November 3, 2014|highest winds = 195 mph|wind type = 1-minute sustained|lowest pressure = 880 mbar|damages = $15 billion|fatalities = 74 total|areas affected = United States Gulf Coast, Midwestern United States, Lesser Antilles, Yucatan Peninsula, Caribbean Islands|hurricane season = 2014 Atlantic hurricane season}} Hurricane Teddy was the strongest Atlantic hurricane at the time of its formation. Teddy was the 19th named storm of the hyperactive 2014 Atlantic hurricane season. Peaking with winds of 195 mbar and a pressure of 880 mbar on November 1, Teddy was the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, as well as the first Category 5 November Atlantic hurricane since 1932. Meteorological History In mid-October, a tropical wave exited the African coast, but high wind shear and interaction with Hurricane Paulette limited development. The wave was monitored for possible tropical development for several days. The tropical wave remained rather disorganized. On October 24, the system had gained a very weak closed circulation was declared Tropical Depression Nineteen. The next day, Nineteen was upgraded to Tropical Storm Teddy. Teddy briefly peaked with 50 mph winds before increasing wind shear caused the storm to become even more disorganized. At 11:00 AM on October 26, Teddy dissipated into a remnant low pressure area. At this point, Teddy had a very slight, yet unlikely, chance of regeneration in a few days, as most forecasts called for wind shear in the eastern Caribbean to tear the storm apart. On October 29, wind shear decreased, and Tropical Storm Teddy had re-generated. Teddy's organization began to improve as the shear rapidly dissipated, and late on October 30, Teddy was upgraded to a category 1 hurricane. Explosive intensification took place on October 31, with Teddy skipping over category 2 status and becoming a category 3 major hurricane - becoming the eighth record-breaking major hurricane of the season. By the end of that day - Teddy was already a massive, powerful Category 5 hurricane with winds of 165 mph. Early on November 1, Teddy's winds reached 195 mph - an Atlantic record, while its pressure fell to 880 mbar - another Atlantic record. Teddy also became the first November Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since 1932. At this point, Teddy was located off the coast of Florida. Teddy's first two fatalities occurred in Tampa due to extremely high seas of 12 feet. Late on November 1, Teddy made landfall in Alabama as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 175 mph, and took an unusual northerly path through western Georgia. Teddy began to weaken, and on November 3, became extratropical while located over central Kentucky and producing hurricane-force winds. Teddy's extratropical dissipated on November 5 in northern Michigan. For a storm of Teddy's magnitude, Teddy actually wasn't nearly as bad as many anticipated. Nevertheless, Teddy did still cause 74 fatalities and $15 billion in damage. Over 30 of the deaths were not in the United States.